3 Judy Garland Liza's mother and really the most distinctive voice of the lot.

4 Mimi Heinz Replaced Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl on Broadway and did Hello Dolly on tour. She’s a great cabaret star and sang with me on my Duets CD.

5 Shani Wallis The wonderful British star from the fantastic hit film Oliver.

Daniel

Graphic DeSigner

The way Rembrandt paints Jewellery is very impressive; very clever brush strokes.

l N Rembrandt’s Women National Gallery of Scotland. Edinburgh

8 THE LIST 21 Jun—5 Jul 2001

THE OPINION

High SOCIety

As the police, the licensing boards and the tabloids pump up the pressure on drugs, The List mounts its own campaign against ignorance and sensationalism.

Words: Catherine Bromley

ery recently. I smoked cannabis for the

first time. I liked it so much. I went out

the very next day and bought some pucker pills from a helpful club promoter. After a top night raving down at nearby club venue Repetitive Beatz. I took it in my head to buy some heroin and now I'm off down the local estate to buy some A-grade smack from a friendly mother of two.

According to the authorities and our wise and knowledgeable tabloid publications. the scenario above happens every day. It's a process that turns our young into AlDS-ridden junkies in a matter of days. sometimes hours. if they lay their hands on the right stuff. For the good of the nation. this downward descent into depravity must be

The Sunday Mail suggested that records with drugs references should be banned.

stopped before it even begins and for this reason. we look to those dens of depravity that lurk in the seedy alleyways of our villages. towns and cities. And we look to club venues.

Which sensationally brings us to the current state of play as regards club culture and the drug-taking that unquestionably forms such a big pan of it. To be fair to the authorities and the families of children killed through their own deliberate drug use. we do have a problem. Last year there were at least six recorded deaths across the UK caused by recreational drugs (note the diminutive nature of this figure in relation to deaths caused by alcohol abuse). and if the authorities and the tabloids persist in their ill- advised treatment of the problem. this year‘s tally will be even higher.

So. what are the police and the licensing boards doing to curb recreational drug use? First

selection. And it's nice to be

able to take a break halhvay rOund.

exhibition was set up: it showed a development in Rembrandt's own life.

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and foremost. they're making infrequent drugs raids at high-profile club venues which aim to make examples of those seen to have a problem. These raids are followed up by a call from the local licensing board which will shut down venues shown to have a drug problem by one random raid. Managers and owners like Ron McCulIoch of Home infamy will then lose their livelihoods and their businesses will go bust. A recent change in English licensing law goes one step further and now threatens owners of club venues with criminal charges if their establishments are seen to condone drug use.

Under substantial pressure. club promoters and venue managers are doing their best to encourage a relationship based on openness and responsibility. However. as police judge how significant the drug problem is at any given venue by the number of seizures made. those who are open and co-operative are then branded as drugs dens. Instead of being thanked for their trouble. they are penalised. So much for openness and co-operation.

With between two to four million recreational drug users in the UK. the authorities should really start listening to organisations like Edinburgh‘s Crew 2000. which truly understand the nature of the problem. Sadly. it's more likely that they will listen to publications like the Sunday Mail. who have recently suggested that records with drugs references should be banned from being played in our clubs. Who has the real problem. here‘.’